Showing results by narrator "Marie Ludington" in All Categories

"The Soul of Man under Socialism" is an 1891 essay by Oscar Wilde, following his conversion to anarchist philosophy after having read the works of the philosopher Peter Kropotkin. Propounding a libertarian socialist worldview, Wilde argues that - under capitalism - most people are forced to spoil their lives through an unhealthy altruism trying to solve the social problems caused by capitalism, instead of developing their true talents. He did not object to altruism per se, but was concerned about its misapplication in a way that does not address the root of the problem.

The Lesson of the Master is a novella by Henry James about life and art, the choice that an artist must make, and the life that art makes. It’s the story of a young writer, Paul Overt, who becomes friends with Henry St. George, a famous author, at about the same time that he meets the love of his life. St. George tells Paul that he ought to dedicate himself to writing, and warns him against the distraction of a wife and family; he goes out of his way to persuade the young writer that marriage would destroy his creativity.